NECKED CONTAINER INCLUDING A DRINKING STRAW

Abstract: A sealed, necked container (10) of, for example, powder food or drink (12) also contains a straw (16) which extends from adjacent the bottom of the container into the neck (14). Access to the straw is gained by breaking away the free end of the neck to expose the end of the straw this being done by breaking the neck in a zone of weakening serving as a tear initiator.

Description: NECKED CONTAINER INCLUDING A DRINKING STRAW Field of the invention This invention relates generally to a package and in particular a fluid or powder food, drink or pharmaceutical package from which the contents are intended to be consumed directly through a straw. The invention According to the invention, there is provided a necked container containing a fluid or powder food, drink or pharmaceutical, a straw within the container and extending from adjacent the bottom of the container into the container neck, which is sealed fully to enclose the container contents and the straw, the container neck having a line of weakening, herein referred to as a tear initiator, enabling the free end of the neck to be broken away to expose the end of the straw. If preferred or desired, the straw may be sealed to the container neck below the tear initiator. Alternatively, however, the straw may stand freely within the container, so that it can be raised outwardly of the container once the free end of the neck has been broken away. The container preferably takes the form of a heat sealed sachet which may be heat sealed, ultra-sonically welded or cold sealed, for example made of co-extended plastics film, laminated plastics film, polymer coated metallic foil or coated paper. In this case, the line of the tear initiator on the neck is preferably aligned with the direction of orientation of the polymer chains, or the orientation of the fibres in the case of a paper sachet . The invention may be extended to a two fluid (or powder) compartmented sachet having a single neck into which two straws extend from the respective compartments, or having two necks each provided with a tear initiator. In the former case, the neck may be cut between the two straws down to the level of the tear initiator, and optionally perforations may be provided in the partition wall between the compartments below the tear initiator to enable the compartments to be separated. In the latter case, the partition wall may be perforated over its entire length to enable the sachet to be divided into two parts, each with its own neck and straw. Description of Embodiments The invention will now be described, by way of exdample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a food sachet; Figure 2 is a transverse cross section through the sachet: Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the top of a two compartment sachet; Figure 4 is a transverse cross section through the sachet of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the top of an alternative two compartment sachet. The food package shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a sachet 10 containing a fluid food 12 such as a drink or possibly a powder food such as powdered sherbet. The sachet 10 comprises two opposed sheets of orientated polypropylene joined together by a process of heat sealing, at a peripheral web 9. The dotted line 19 indicates the orientation of the polymer chains of the polypropylene forming a neck 14 of the sachet. Sealed within the sachet, in addition to the food 12, is a straw 16, extending from adjacent the bottom of the sachet up into the neck 14. Approximately midway of its height, and below the top of the straw 16, the neck 14 is formed with a pair of opposed nicks 18. Each nick 18 can act as a tear initiator, so that the free end portion of the neck 14 above the nicks 18 can be broken away, as by twisting, to expose the top of the straw 16. The tear created by this process will be substantially parallel to line 19. The straw 16 may stand freely in position within the sachet 10, or be sealed to the neck 14 of the sachet beneath the nicks 18. In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the sachet 20 is divided by a partition wall 22 into two compartments 24, 26, respectively for containing alternative differing foods such as two different flavours of fruit drink. The sachet 20 has a single neck 28 into which the partition wall 22 extends, and two straws 30, 32 are sealed within the sachet 20 with their upper ends extending up into the neck from the respective compartments 24, 26, respectively on opposite sides of the partition wall 22. The neck has a pair of nicks 34 which can act as tear initiators for each straw, as heretofore described with reference to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2. Twisting off the free end portion of the neck exposes the upper ends of both straws 30, 32. The neck 14 is preferably cut within the partition wall 22 down to the level of the nicks 34, as indicated at 36, and below this point the partition wall 22 may optionally be perforated, as indicated at 38, so that the two compartments 24, 26 of the sachet can be split apart. Figure 5 shows a modification in which, in a dual compartment sachet 40, two separate necks 42, 44 are provided, each with its own pair of nicks, respectively 46, 48. Optionally, the partition wall 50 may have perforations 52 to enable the two compartments to be split apart.

Claims: Claims 1. A necked container containing a substance to be dispensed therefrom through a straw, a straw accommodated within the container and extending from adjacent the bottom of the container into the container neck, the container neck being sealed to enclose the container contents and the straw, and having a weakened zone for enabling the free end of the neck to be broken away to expose the end of the straw. 2. A container according to claim 1, in which the straw is sealed to the container neck below said weakened zone. 3. A container according to claim 1, in which the straw is axially moveable relative to the container so that the straw can be raised outwardly of the container once the free end of the neck has been broken away. 4. A container according to any of the preceding claims in which the container comprises a sachet. 5. A container according to claim 4, in which the sachet is sealed by a process of heat sealing, ultrasonic welding or, cold sealing. 6. A container according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the sachet is made of co-extended plastics film, laminated plastics flim or polymer coated metallic foil. 7. A container according to claim 6, in which the weakened zone on the neck is linear and is aligned with the direction of orientation of the polymer chains. 8. A container according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the sachet is made of coated paper. 9. A container according to claim 8 in which the weakened zone on the neck is linear, and is aligned with the orientation of paper fibres of the sachet. 10. A container according to any of claims 4 to 9, in which the sachet has two compartments, and two straws, each of which extends into a respective compartment. 11. A container according to claim 10, in which the container has a single neck into which both the straws extend. 12. A container according to claim 10, in which the container has two necks, into each of which a respective straw extends, each neck being provided with a respective weakened zone, weakening. 13. A container according to claim 11, in which the single neck is provided with a cut between the two straws and perforations are provided in a partition wall between the two compartments below the weakened zone to enable the compartments to be separated. 14. A container according to claim 12, in which a partition wall between the compartments is perforated over its entire length to enable the sachet to be divided into two parts, each with its own neck and straw. 15. A container according to any of claims 4 to 6 in which the weakened zone is provided by a recess in one side of the exterior of the neck. 16. A container according to claim 15 in which the sachet comprises two opposed pieces of sheet material joined together at a peripheral web, and in which the recess comprises a nick in the web.

Inventors: DUFFIELD KENNETH REGINALD, GAYLOR IAN MICHAEL DAINES, WILSON DONNA JOY, DUFFIELD, KENNETH, REGINALD, GAYLOR, IAN, MICHAEL, DAINES, WILSON, DONNA, JOY
Applicants: CAMBRIDGE CONSULTANTS, DUFFIELD KENNETH REGINALD, GAYLOR IAN MICHAEL DAINES, WILSON DONNA JOY, CAMBRIDGE CONSULTANTS LIMITED, DUFFIELD, KENNETH, REGINALD, GAYLOR, IAN, MICHAEL, DAINES, WILSON, DONNA, JOY
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65D77
IPC codes: B65D75, B65D77